Sharpening tool



Patented Dee. 7, i925.

LEO scHILDKNEciiT, or sr. Louis, iviissoiini,A Assieivoii l'ro naivnisfivinoiiinii vCoM- rANY, or sT.' Louisgiviissourii, A coaroafarioiv or MISSOURI.

SHARPENING 'foon Application filed March 23, `1926. Serial No. 96,711.

My invention relates to sharpening tools and is particularly adapted for` sharpening aiiawl or a similar tool which has a point,

thefaces ofwhich are. required to be fairly exactl in order to secure the best.` results from its use. 'As an example of such a tool,

I referto the curved awl `which is in general :use in curved -needle stitchers such as are Vused/for shoe repairing. -In such machines,

the awlis used to perforate the leather and the p'assage'oi" the awl through the leather is' followedf'by' the: passage of the needle. It the shape of the awlA point is not exact, the pointl of the needle will not have an will be but as many machine operatorshavenoiotlier v"mechanical training, such hand-filing is oten'highly unsatisfactory. In an eort' `to provide amore exact means for pointing suchawls, `it has been proposed'heretofore to providev aiholder for the awl andi guides associatedv therewith for `controlling the movement of thel tiles or `other sharpening instruments which arefused by the operator.

At vbest suchdevices'de'pend upon thek correct positioning. ofthe file in the guide by the operator. Ait-terv some use, the guides' are -worn away bythe iiles and the device is no longer accurate.

The objects :of my invention are to provide a simple economical awlsharpening device -iii which.V the .pointingof `the awl may be easilyandexactly secured by a person who has no. mechanical skill.

'In the accompanying *drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment of my invention, v

Figure 1 is atop view of'` my device.

FigureQ is a side elevationv of the same sectioned in parttomore clearly illustrate its.v construction.

'Figure v3 is-an end elevation of my device looking toward the righthandxend of the same yas shown in Figure 2.

Figure 4'is-"a horizontal section taken on .line 4-.'4 voit' Figure 2.

My device comprisesy a base 1 which includes-'a depending bracket 2 whereby the device maybe yclamped toa table or shelf T by ybeyond' the ends of files Sand 9.

meansot a clamping screw y3. having a wing nut handle 4. Thebase lalso includes an upstanding bracket 5 havin g` sp aced grooves 6 and 7i-adapted to receiveI abrasive instruments such as files 8 and 9, respectively. Each file: is secured yin its 'respective groove or slot'` by4 a cl-ampingfscrew. '10' which is threaded finto 1 the adjacent portion. of

bracket 5. The iiles are ixedly held -at Idifferent angles tothe vertical withk iiat faces converging toward' each' other Acrosswis'e but extending lengthwise :in parallel with each other. y l.

The device includes a' com @und slide Whichis formed by a. pair of-gibs 11 i'orined ini base 1 and extending transversely of the same,` a member 12 slidably mounted' on Y gibs 1l and` having aj pair of vgibs 13 Vextending transversely of gibs 1l, and a block v14 with an enlarged V"flange 15. slidably 'l ymounted in gibs 13.

\ Block 14 is the tool holding element and i is provided with'a curvedgroovefor receiving one `edge of an awl-A which.' is held. in

vplace by; a plate 16 attached to the block by a bolt 17 and linurled nut 18. l

The v point of the' awl is vreally an edge and it is desirable that' this edge yhaveia predetermine'd angle with theadjacent' .portion of the awl andto'producel'the desired anglel provide a setting gauge 19which is'shown as 'being mounted'oii the 'upper end of bracket 5 but'located outside of file 8.

:'To use the device the awl` is vinserted beso that the point of the awl is 'under gauge 19 and the awl is thenmoved in block 14 'and plate 16 until its point contacts with the underside of gauge 19. Screw 18` is then tightened. The block is then moved in the direction of arrow X' until the awl passes and slide member 12 is then moved in the vdirection 'of'arrow Y (see'Figu're 3) until the point oi" the awl is opposite the space between ilesB and'9. The'bl ook isv then' moved 'along gibs 13 so as to Contact the awl with the inner faces of one oit' the files, such movement transversely of the files as may be necessary to provide -contact being attained by movement of` slide 12in gibs 11. After a i'ew reciprocal movements of the block` and awl aloiigone 'of the nies, the slide 19. is

rI he block y loo The only skill required in sharpening the awl is that necessary to avoid iling a substantially greater amount on one 'surface than on the other as the edge ofthe awl ypoint should be aligned with the longitudinal edges of the awl which isv square in cross section.

Irrespective of the movements of slide l2 and block 14 in their respective gibs, the awl cannot be turned pivotally, either horizontally or vertically, so as to vary the relation between the surfaces produced by the iiles or to vary the inclination ofthe edge formed by the meeting of these surfaces.

The files may be repeatedly adjusted or reversed in their respective grooves so as to present different portions of their surfaces lto the awl, thereby making possible eX- tended provision of a sharp abrasive surface. Such adjustments will not affect the angles at which the files are held.

The parts of the device are easily made and assembled and the device as a whole can be attached to any table, bench, shelf, or

other object having a projecting ledge, or

the device may be operated when held in the hand even if not attached to any rigid supporting object.

It is not essential that the two parts of the compound slide move at right angles to each other, although this is the preferred construction. Obviously,` similar results would be obtained if the respective pairs of gibs were disposed at forty-ve `degrees to each other' or at other angles to each other.

This and other details of my invention may be modified without departing from the y spirit thereof and I contemplate all such modifications as come within the scope of my claims.

I'claim:- c

l. In a sharpening device for an awl or like tool, a base, an ups'tanding member at one end of said base, file holding means on the upper portion of said member, and tool holding elements slidable on said base longitudinally and transversely of said means, said member and elements serving to hold a file and awlA carried thereby at a predetermined vangle to each other.

2. In a device for sharpeningr an awl or like tool, means for holding an abrasive instrument at a predetermined angle, a tool holder movable in different directions at angles to each other and having 'predetermined relation to said lmeans, said tool holder being held against pivotal movement relative to said means, and a gauge on the device for positioning the point of a tool positioned in said holder. e

3. In a device for sharpening an awl or like tool, a pair of abrasive instruments with converging surfaces extending lengthwise and parallel with each other, means for holding said instruments as described, a tool holding element, means for guiding said ele ment so that the tool may be moved along the surface of either of. saidA instruments or moved at an angle to said surfaces, said means preventing pivotal movement of said tool relative to said surfaces, and a gauge located approximately at the level of said instruments and adapted to position the point or end of a tool mounted in said element.

1. In a device for sharpening an awl or like tool, a base, a member slidab-le thereon in one direction, an element slidable on said member in a transverse direction, means on said element for holding an awl, a bracket on said base, a pair of files mounted on said bracket and extending over said base, a gauge at one side of said files and extending over said base whereby the end of the tool may be positioned relative to said base, said tiles terminating short of the end of the base opposite said bracket to permit' the movement of the awl point around the end of said liles from beneath said gauge to between said iles. Y

5. In adevice for sharpening an awl or like tool, a basea clamp for attaching said base to a shelf or like projection, parallel gibs on said base, a slide mounted in said gibs, parallel gibs on said slide extending at an angle to said base gibs, a block mounted on said slide, means for holdingan awl on the side of said block, an upstanding arm at one end of said base, a pair of inclined slots Vin said arm, flat iiles in said slots, screws in said arm for fastening said files to said slots, a gauge on said arm intermediate the top and bottom of said files for positioning the point of an awl held on said block, said files extending over said base and terminating short of the end thereof 'opposite to said arm to'permit the movement of the awl point around the ends of said files.

6. In a portable vsharpening mechanism for an awl or like tool, a base, an upstanding member on said base, a pair of abrasive instruments fiXedly mounted on said member and extending over said base, a compound slide device on said base beneath said instruments, said device v including a primary element slidable on the base and a secondary element slidable in a different direction on the primary element, said elements being movable at angles to each other in their respective directions, and means on said secondary'eleinent for holding an awl.

7. In a portable sharpening mechanism for an awl or like tool, a base, an upstanding' member on said base, a pair of abrasive instruments fixedly mounted on said member and extending over said base, a compound slide device on said base beneath said instruments, said device including a primary element slidable on the base and a secondary element slidable in a different di. rection on the primary element, said elements being freely movable at angles to Y each other in their respective directions, means on said secondary ele-ment for adjustably holding an awl, and an aWl gauge on said member extending over said base adjacent to said instruments.

In testimony' whereof I hereunto aHX my signature this 13th day of March, 1926.

LEO S-CHILDKNECHT. 

